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We've all had those days where we've left the house with our makeup looking flawless only to notice by lunchtime that our foundation or eye shadow has started to smudge or fade. Thankfully, a makeup setting spray is the perfect solution to this problem. Much like hairspray, a setting spray is applied at the end of your beauty routine to lock in the makeup and help it last longer.
Unlike setting powders that just protect makeup like foundation, blush, and concealer, a setting spray can be applied to your entire face and it will help keep eye shadow, mascara, and lipsticks from smudging as well. Besides preventing it from melting or fading, the mist of a setting spray also helps stop makeup from caking, creasing, and settling into fine lines.
Not only will the right setting spray keep your makeup in place, but it can also improve the look and health of your skin. Some feature ingredients that work to brighten and hydrate skin, while others help protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays and boost your skin's elasticity.
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Like most makeup products, the number of setting sprays on the market can be overwhelming. So we did the research to find the best options available. Whether you are looking for a setting spray that works best for your skin type or one that features SPF, these are the setting sprays that will keep your makeup looking great all day and night long.
Here are the best makeup setting sprays you can buy:
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
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The Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray has been one of the most popular makeup setting sprays for years. Not only does it keep your makeup in place for up to 16 hours, but it also makes your skin look smoother. Plus it works on all skin types and prevents makeup from cracking, fading, or settling into fine lines.
Unlike other setting sprays that can feel sticky when first applied, this spray goes on as a microfine mist that you will barely feel. It is made with a patented Temperature Control Technology that actually lowers the temperature in your makeup to help keep it in place even in hot, humid, and windy conditions.
The setting spray is an Allure Best of Beauty winner and has been recommended by both InStyle and Elle magazines. It has more than 430,000 likes on Sephora with more than 8,000 reviewers giving it a 4.4-star average rating.
One Sephora shopper wrote, “I love wearing makeup but have always had a problem with it fading and/or smudging (especially eyeliner). I've tried probably everything on the market to prevent this. This spray is unbelievable. I can put on my makeup at 6:00 AM before work and when I get home after 7, it still looks perfect — hasn't smudged or faded at all! SO happy to have finally found a product that works for me!”
The spray may be on the pricier side, but it comes in a mini size as well so you can test it before you splurge on the standard or jumbo size bottles.
Pros: Lightweight mist, keeps makeup in place for up to 16 hours, makes skin look smoother, works on all skin types and in all climates
The NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray is a long-lasting setting spray that helps your makeup last all day and night. If you have oily skin, you’ll no longer have to worry about looking shiny, as the spray will leave your makeup with a gorgeous matte finish.
Fans of the product say that not only does it keep their makeup in place for hours, but the matte setting spray also stops excess oil from breaking through. Multiple reviewers said they normally have to use blotting papers to remove excess oil by mid-day but they no longer have to thanks to this handy spray.
The affordable setting spray went viral in 2017 after a shopper named Sofia left a 5-star review on Ulta saying, "I was hit by a car and through the hit itself, the rain, the ambulance ride, and the hours in the hospital my makeup stayed completely intact the entire time. When I was discharged from the hospital I had to take off my makeup and none of it had moved. if this setting spray can survive being hit by a car then that's all the proof I need and I'll definitely be buying it again."
A few shoppers did note that the spray has a strong smell at first but they said it wears off after a minute once the spray sinks in.
Pros: Keeps makeup in place for hours, prevents excess oil from breaking through, sleek matte finish, affordable
The Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Setting Spray is a multitasking mist that works three ways. It can be used as a primer before putting on makeup, a setting spray to lock makeup in place, and a refreshing spray whenever your skin is in need of a boost.
It is specially formulated with coconut water, probiotic-based ingredients, and skin revivers that work together to smooth, hydrate, and brighten skin, while at the same time promoting skin’s elasticity and tone.
The setting spray has a 4.54-star rating on Influenster and has more than 80,000 likes on Sephora. One reviewer wrote, “I have extremely dry skin and this is AMAZING. It hydrates and refreshes and I use it throughout the day. Without it, my makeup usually gets flaky but this fixes the problem. Love this spray and will always get more”
A few people said the spray bottle’s spritzer was very powerful and can drench you if you spray it too close to your face. So they recommend holding the bottle at least six inches away when applying.
Pros: 3-in-1 product, keeps makeup in place for hours, hydrating and refreshing
If you prefer to buy eco-friendly products, try the Farmacy Skin Dew Hydrating Setting Spray. The product works like a regular setting spray locking makeup into place, but it also tones skin and restores its radiance.
The spray contains glycerin to provide moisture and hydration, natural polymers to help set makeup and stop oil migration, and Echinacea GreenEnvy, a unique patent-protected variant of echinacea purpurea, to help boost collagen.
The product has a Clean at Sephora seal, which means it's made without the ingredients shoppers told Sephora they'd like to avoid, including sulfates, parabens, formaldehydes, and phthalates. It works on all skin tones and types including combination and sensitive skin.
The eco-friendly spray has a 3.9-star rating on Influenster and more than 10,000 likes on Sephora.
One reviewer said, “This is honestly the best product I've ever purchased from Sephora. I got it as a deluxe sample and fell in love with it. Absolutely worth the money. It works AMAZINGLY well. I wore it the other day when I had to be on a golf course for 6 hours in 90-degree heat - my makeup was still flawless at the end of the day. Very lightweight and doesn't clog my pores,”
Pros: Clean seal at Amazon, eco-friendly, tones skin while keeping makeup in place, boosts college, works on all skin types
Normally you can only put on SPF prior to putting on makeup, because if you try to reapply SPF over makeup it will cause it to smear or melt off. The Supergoop! Defense Refresh Setting Spray is here to change all that.
This innovative product works like a regular makeup setting spray, but it features SPF 50 so you can reapply SPF over your makeup throughout the day without ruining it.
The formula is water and sweat resistant, so it will keep your makeup in place even in the most humid and damp environments. It is also 100% cruelty-free and made without any parabens, synthetic fragrances, or oxybenzone.
It has been featured in both Women’s Health and Allure magazine’s lists of Best Makeup Setting Sprays and has more than 30,000 likes on Sephora.
One reviewer wrote, “The easiest way ever to add SPF into my beauty routine. I had this recommended to me during my custom makeover and I am honestly more excited about this than any makeup I bought. Not only does it set my makeup but I can also use it on days I'm not wearing makeup and I'll still get the SPF, perfect for summer. I love Supergoop!!”
A few reviewers did complain that the nozzle got clogged sometimes, so they suggested wiping it down after each use to prevent that from happening.
Pros: SPF protection, keeps makeup locked in for hours, water and sweat resistant, cruelty-free
Blush can add some color to your cheeks no matter your skin tone. These are the best blushes we've tried.
The right blush can help bring an entire makeup look together, wake up your face on tired mornings, or reinstate some life on your cheeks after you've blotted out your natural color with foundation.
When it comes to natural makeup, it's hard to know which brands you can actually trust. Many products claim to be natural but contain potentially harmful synthetic ingredients.
If there's one thing many women never leave home without, it's mascara. It makes your eyes pop and brightens up your face in an instant. We tested dozens of mascaras to find the best, and Chanel Le Volume Mascara is our top choice because it delivers long, lush lashes that last all day.
Picking the right foundation makeup for your skin type and skin tone can be a real hassle, but once you find the best one for you, you've got it made. We've done the research to find some of the highest-rated foundations you can buy, and the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation is a real winner.
After your eyes, your lips are probably the most expressive part of your face, and they stay busy all day long - emoting, eating, talking, kissing - so it's no surprise that most women like to attract a bit of attention to their lips with lipstick. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better creamy, satiny lipstick than L'Oréal Colour Riche Lipcolour.
A bronzed glow can make you look healthier and feel more confident, but we all know how damaging sunbathing can be. Faking it with a bronzer is a much safer option. For the ultimate sun-kissed glow in an instant, Becca's Sunlit Bronzers are our top pick.
